Boys 120

Kamehameha’s Brant Porter beat Moanalua’s Elijah Asuncion to win the 120-pound title at Officials and will try to win states two divisions up from his 106-pound title a year ago. Photo by Kat Wade/Special to the Star-Advertiser.

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FIRST PLACE

(1) Brant Porter (KSK) vs. Branson Magsayo (StL)
— Porter, fall 5:16

Porter: “It’s amazing. Trained hard for this. Dozens of hours just for a six-minute match. It doesn’t really matter as long as I came out with the victory I’d be happy. The pin was just for team points.”

Notes: Rematch of the ILH final won by Porter, who was second at states last year. Porter in full control of this match and he works the pin in the third. His No. 10 pound-for-pound ranking could go up regardless of where people in front of him won or not. Impressive performance on a night that the league rematches in the state final have not been necessarily going to the repeat winner.

SEMIFINALS

The tournament’s most competitive bracket might have its most competitive semifinals. Porter and Asuncion have each won 10 times at the Blaisdell, with Asuncion already holding a state championship and both elites in line for their third medals. Porter has finished second and third and never lost twice in a tournament, Asuncion lost twice two years ago in finishing fourth. For all of his accomplishments, Porter doesn’t get much of an edge in state experience over Faeldonea, who has taken the mat 13 times to Porter’s 12, going 7-6 but earning only a fifth-place medal last year. ILH runner-up Magsayo is the wild card, participating in his first state tournament after taking apart Lanoza and Vento. Looking ahead to the final, Porter beat Asuncion for the Officials title in December.